He wants to distract from his war: Zohran Mamdani hits back at Trump as verbal clash escalates
New York: The political showdown between U.S. President Donald Trump and New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani intensified on Wednesday, with Mamdani hitting back hard in a video that's now going viral across social media platforms.
The 33-year-old Democratic nominee accused President Trump of targeting him in order to divert public attention from his ongoing military conflict. "Yesterday, Donald Trump said that I should be arrested, that I should be deported, that I should be de-naturalised," Mamdani said in the video. “He said those things about me — someone who stands to be the first immigrant mayor of this city in generations, the first Muslim and the first South Asian mayor in New York’s history.”
“It’s less about who I am and more about what I fight for,” he continued. “He wants to distract the nation from the issues I represent — the struggles of working-class people who’ve been priced out of this city.”
Mamdani, a New York State Assembly member and democratic socialist, shot to national prominence after defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary. He has become a key target for Republicans, especially after vowing to block Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in New York.
President Trump, in a post on his social media platform Truth Social, called Mamdani a “Communist Lunatic” and claimed he would prevent him from “destroying” the city. “I hold all the levers and have all the cards,” Trump wrote. “I’ll save New York City and make it 'Hot' and 'Great' again, just like I did with the Good Ol’ USA!”
In his rebuttal, Mamdani criticized Trump’s proposed “One Big Beautiful Bill,” describing it as legislation that “will steal food from the hungry” and deepen economic inequality. “This bill is yet another massive wealth transfer, just like we saw during his first term,” he said.
The verbal duel comes amid rising tensions in the national political landscape, with Mamdani positioning himself as a progressive voice for marginalized communities. “I fight for working people,” he said. “I fight for the same people Trump once claimed he would help — but instead, he has betrayed them.”
Born in Uganda to renowned Indian-American filmmaker Mira Nair and Indo-Ugandan academic Mahmood Mamdani, Zohran Mamdani made history as the first South Asian and Ugandan-born person to serve in the New York State Assembly. He is only the third Muslim ever elected to the body.
As the 2025 New York mayoral race heats up, the confrontation between Mamdani and Trump is fast becoming a defining flashpoint in the national debate over immigration, economic justice, and the future of American cities.
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Assam records nearly 18 pc voter turnout in first two hours of assembly polls
Guwahati (PTI): A voter turnout of 17.87 per cent was recorded in the first two hours of the assembly elections in Assam, where the BJP-led NDA is seeking a third consecutive term in power, while the Congress is striving to reclaim a state it lost a decade ago.
Polling began at 7 am for the 126-member assembly, and 17.87 per cent of the state's 2.5 crore voters exercised their franchise till 9 am, officials said.
A total of 722 candidates are in the fray for the elections, which is largely witnessing a direct contest between the BJP-led ruling coalition and the opposition bloc helmed by the Congress.
The river island of Majuli recorded the highest turnout in the first two hours at 20.03 per cent, while Tamulpur in the Bodoland Territorial Region witnessed the lowest at 15.32 per cent.
Voters began queuing outside polling booths since early morning, despite rain in many parts of the state.
Prominent candidates who have cast their votes so far include Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia in Nazira, Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Gogoi in Khowang, and BJP's Pradyut Bordoloi.
Votes are being cast at 31,490 polling stations across the 35 districts of the state, with polling concluding at 5 pm.
Among the heavyweight candidates whose fates would be decided in this election are Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal and Raijor Dal leader Akhil Gogoi.
The Congress has fielded the highest number of candidates at 99, followed by the BJP with 90. The AIUDF has 30 candidates, while NDA constituents Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People's Front (BPF) are contesting 26 and 11 seats, respectively.
In the opposition bloc, Raijor Dal is contesting 13 seats, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) 10, CPI(M) 3 and APHLC 2. Other parties in the fray include AAP (18), UPPL (18), TMC (22), JMM (16), besides 258 Independents.
Algapur-Katlicherra and Karimganj South have the highest number of candidates at 15 each, while nine constituencies -- Rangia, Jagiroad (SC), Hojai, Naduar, Jonai (ST), Doomdooma, Mahmora, Teok and Lakhipur -- have only two candidates each.
